Feel free to contribute on burning issues concerning the armed forces. Contributions would be acknowledged - Use the 'Comments' tab or email navdeepsingh.india[at]gmail.com. No operational/business/commercial matters to be discussed please. Legal advice/litigation related issues would strictly NOT be published or discussed or entertained. Information on this blog is opinion based and is neither official nor in the form of an advice. This is a pro bono online journal in public service related to issues, policies and benefits, and the idea behind it is to educate and not to create controversy or to incite. Be soft in your language, respect Copyrights.

Followers

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

“Get busy because when the devil comes, the devil comes dressed as light, Maybe they are going to fool the untrained mind, but nobody I know is going to bite. Like a thief in the night, my Lord come and strike, leave nothing but ashes to the left, dust to the right. Holocaust aside, many lived and died, but when all truth is told, would you rather be dead or be sold?” : Prince (Muse to the Pharaoh, abridged)

Regular visitors on this blog would be aware of this earlier blogpost of December 2010 wherein it was reported that the Hon’ble Supreme Court had upheld the grant of pension of regular Naib Subedar to pre-2006 discharged Havildars granted the Honorary rank of Naib Subedar. Though the govt had, on the recommendations of the 6th CPC, agreed to grant the pension of a regular Naib Subedar to Honorary Naib Subedars, the same benefit to pre-2006 retirees was kept back due to a negative interpretation of the govt orders. The position was rectified on the intervention of the Chandigarh Bench of the AFT and then affirmed by the Supreme Court.

Now I’ll come to the point. How about renaming the Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare, how would ‘Department of Ex-Servicemen harassment’ sound ? or ‘Department of Ex-Servicemen hindrance’ ? How about ‘Department of Ex-Servicemen misfortune’ ?

16 comments:

Anonymous
said...

Dear Navdeep

I think it is real misfortune to have a department like this whose sole aim is to harrass and deny all to ESM in whatever way possible by hook or crook.So it should continue to be called ESM ...Dept of Ex Servicmen Misfurtune.

Please dont discourage the ESMs.We had lot of hopes in you.Why dont you try and write a letter to a supreme court judge who can take your letter as writ and proceed further and the beaurecrat who is responsible to deny this is taken to task..Unfortunately we have a weak MoD who is dependent on the bureaucracy who do not have the knowldge or the ground realities of the sufferings of the ESMs.Something drastic has to be done to get out of it. ThanksVelayudhan

Hi,I write this in an emotional state of mind.The phrase 'travesty of justice' can be used so often in matters concerning EX- Servicemen and also serving personnel that it can become cliche'd and overused. But what else do u call this state of affairs?

It is really sad to note this growing despondency in Major Navdeep Singh who has the beacon for us floundering ships in the last few years. And why is it happening to a man as motivated as he? A hardened legal man who is accustomed to seeing judgements going the other way in his profession is at his wits end. Why have we the faujis been reduced to this pitiable state?

It is because of the self serving few among us that ensure that dissent against wrongful authority is stifled. It is because we have become so used to being suppressed that we cant speak out against misuse of power. In this regard the AMC officers are better off because they do not suffer from 'barracks syndrome' which afflicts those of us who have been cadets for 4 years and jump at the sight of a shadow. We are happy with third rate salaries, ration, accomodation, shabby treatment at work, draconioan laws that govern us and above all the most PATHETIC PROMOTION POLICY in the entire World. In which organisation in the world is a man Enrolled at 17, meted the most inhuman treatment for 20 years and cast away with revulsion at 37-39 like last nights condom.

The cilians in the MoD and Army HQ have no problem twisting our tails because we are under the Army Act while they are not. They enjoy stable jobs, Assured Career Progression, CSD facilities etc but hate the sight of the uniformed man. A clerk or AO in the CDA(O) talks to a LT COL as though he is a Gp C employee. And can the Col retaliate. No way . he will be marked out. The point I'm making here is that the Fauji officer and soldier has everything stacked against him. And to thing that these men are still ready to lose a limb or their very life at the flick of a Corrupt politician's finger is the worst TRAVESY OF JUSTICE

We all believe in the system and expect that justice will be done to us. However your presumption that your bank is paying you correct pension, may not be in your best financial interests. Experience indicates that Banks are frequently doing the mistake of paying lower rates of pension vis a vis authorisation to many pensioners due to poor understanding of defence pension provisions by their staff. Therefore it is a must for every pensioner to know his/her correct entitlement of pension.

2. The pensioners, who have retired on or after 01-01-06, generally do not have any problem in getting their correct pension. The CDAs in their case have issued Pension Payment Order (PPO) as per the new provisions of VI CPC. For these pensioners the banks have no option, but to pay the pension as specified by the CDA in the PPO. However, the story is different for pre 01-01-06 retirees.

3. Considering the large volume of pre-2006 pensioners (25 lacs Appx), the CDAs have expressed their inability to issue a revised PPO as per VI CPC entitlement. The Govt has therefore issued orders to Pension Disbursing Agencies (Banks, Treasury Offices etc) to calculate the revised pension as per VI CPC) and pay the same to the pre-2006 pensioners directly. Govt has issued instructions to banks (with necessary reference tables) for calculating and releasing the revised pension. Efforts are on at the highest level to ensure that revised PPOs are issued for pre-2006 pensioners also, by he CDAs in near future. However it is linked to digitalisation of past records and data capture of pre-2006 pensioners on a large scale by CGDA and could take some time. Therefore as on date, it is only banks who will decide the post VI CPC revision of pension, for pre-2006 pensionersB P SINGHwww.indiancpmf.blogspot.com

This is the third case in recent years. First one was of the Rank pay where govt with no justifiable reasons refuse to abide by the orders of SC. Second is the case of 90 year old widow where the govt told the court that the claim of the widow that she was getting only a pension of Rs.80/-was absolutely wrong and she is getting nearly Rs.20,000/- when everyone know that this enhanced amount came into force only after VI CPC and her complaints were of last 40 odd years when she has been getting low pension. Third is the present case.We do claim to have very good Ex-service Association. I think it is high time for us take a look at our so called Ex-servicemen Associations and do something

Dear Sir,It is a very useful and an eye opener to all the veterans to kanow what isthe Ex-Servicemen Welfare Department and for whome it is . When they are not helping ESM, the very purpose of the Department is defeated, it can be wound up. If not doing good , atleast they should not mis interpret the circulars and orders.Thank you, sir.Sgt.S.kanthiahExwel Trust, Tirunelveli-Dist, TN.

ESW = EX-SERVICEMEN WEED OUT; Do you know that the Record Office for Retired AMC Officers- MPRS(O)/NE has a "WEED OUT" Section and letters to MPRS(O) seeking any info by the VETERANS are replied from that section with a reference number as "......./MPRS(O)/ WEED OUT " ! Further, that Record Office has already destroyed old records of even surviving VETERANS ! So as far as the MOD and its subordinate offices are concerned, once one is SOS (struck of strength) by a Casualty return (DO Part II), the veteran does not exist for them. MOD and the subordinate offices might as well abolish the Dept of ESW from their administrative machinery immediately so that the establishment expenditure on ESW is saved in the defence budget !Lt Col (retd) Dr G Kameswara Rao, Secunderabad - email: kamu1932@gmail.com 23 Aug 2011

Nothing strange or surprising.Who has the time,dedication or resolve to work on ESM issues when the entire focus of service HQs top down is to solve own issues only viz disability pension,Date of births etc? All experts advises including of retd. supreme court judges is sought and quoted for such personal issues only,even to the extent of appearing defiant in front of the entire country.Hence, the service HQs are actually not as weak as they pretend to be. Weakness and blame it on bureaucracy is an excuse for lack of will.So much to say for the ethos and mottos.

This is the MOD circular Dated 11/11/2008 Para 2.2(iv)Reservist in receipt of Ex Gratia payment at Rs 600/- covered by Government of India Ministry of Defence letter No B/39042/AG /PS-4(a&c)/1331C/D/(pens/ser) Dated 29th Dec 2000.(v)Families of the deceased Reservist in receipt of Ex Gratia family pension at Rs605/-Governmrnt of India Ministry of Defence letter No B/40029/AG/PS-4(d)/1/B/D(Pensions/services)dated 07/01/1999 (Separate orders will be issued in respect of (iv)&(v).

Still, MOD has no time to issue orders. This generation, As Lt Col (retd) Dr G Kameswara Rao, Secunderabad , rightly said “done the casualty return (DO PART II)”. Some mistake done at their young age these veterans and their families to suffer (opting for Lum sum gratuity) till the time of reaching their grave. Is there any worst punishment available than this? So, We can Name it “VETERENS WELFARE RETURN OFFICE“ OR “VETERAN WELFARE RETURNOFF OFFICE”EX Sgt M Arumugam

This is the MOD circular Dated 11/411/2008 Para 2.2(iv)reservist receipt of Ex Gratia payment at Rs 600/- covered by Governmrnt of India Ministry of Defence letter No B/39042/AG /PS-4(a&c)/1331C/D/(pens/ser) Dated 29th Dec200..(v)Families of the deceased Reservistin receipt of Ex Gratia family pensionat Rs605/-Governmrnt of India Ministry of Defence letter No B/40029/AG/PS-4(d)/1/B/D(Pensions/services)dated 07/01/1999 (Separate orders will be issued in respect of (iv)&(v).Still, MOD has no time to issue orders. This generation , As Lt Col (retd) Dr G Kameswara Rao, Secunderabad , rightly said “done the casualty return (DO PART II)”.Some mistake done at their young age these veterans and their families to suffer (opting for Lum sum gratuity) till the time of reaching the grave. Is there any worst punishment available than this? We can Name it “VETEREN WELFARE RETURN OFFICE “OR “VETERAN WELFARE RETURNOFF OFFICE”EX Sgt M Arumugam